Category: Dessert

Chocolate Cranberry Curd Tartlets

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I found myself pondering this year how to construct a well-balanced cookie tin. I had a lot of people to give gifts too that I don’t see often so I felt a well-designed cookie tin was a safe bet. But how to make it balanced with the right flavors of Yule? As I prepared my list, I realized that what I was missing from my usual rotation was acidity. I needed a cookie with the bright, sweet-tart notes of a winter berry. What’s more winter berry than cranberry? After much exploration, this little 2-bite tartlet was born. It’s no sugar plum, but I watched a video on how to make those and that was insane.

Chocolate Cranberry Curd Tartlets

Special Equipment

Ingredients

For the cranberry curd filling

  • 1 12-oz bag fresh cranberries
  • Note: If you can’t find fresh, sub for 2 cups of frozen
  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • 2 eggs
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

For the tart shells

  • Sugar Cookie Mix
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 egg

For the garnish

  • Miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preparation

For the Cranberry Curd

  • To a medium sauce pan, add the cranberries and orange juice.
  • Over medium heat bring to a boil until the cranberries start to pop.
  • While the cranberries are cooking, combine the eggs, sugar, and vanilla in a separate bowl and whisk until combined. Set aside.
  • Using a rubber spatula, crush the cranberries and continue stirring and breaking the berries down until you get a paste.
    • *Note: Some curd recipes call for straining, but I personally like my curd a little bit chunky.
  • Turn off the heat and let the cranberries cool for about 5 minutes.
  • Add the custard mixture to the cranberries and whisk until combined.
  • Return the pan to a medium heat and whisk until the sauce thickens.
  • Once the sauce has thickened, turn off the heat and gradually add the softened butter while whisking until the butter has fully melted and the mixture becomes a curd.
  • Place the contents in a sealed 1-gallon plastic bag and refrigerate for one hour.

For the Tartlets

  • Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Spray Mini-Muffin Pans with non-stick spray and set aside.
  • In a large bowl, mix sugar cookie mix, the egg, and softened butter with a rubber spatular until a soft dough forms.
  • Using a #40 disher, scoop and form 1.25 inch dough balls. Place each ball into a mini-muffin cup.
  • With the base of your spatular, press an indentation into each dough ball.
  • Bake for 8-10 minutes.
  • Remove tartlets from the oven and repeat the indentations into the center with your spoon or spatula.
  • Allow tartlets to cool inside the tin for 20 minutes to firm their shape.
  • Using a baker’s straight or off-set spatula, loosen the tartlets from the tin and transfer to a cooling rake.
  • Allow tartlet shells to cool for at least 30 minutes.

For assembly

  • Remove cooled cranberry curd and snip the edge of the bottom of the bag to create a space to pipe out the curd.
  • Pipe the curd into each shell so that it creates a little over flow, but try not to smear the edges of the shells with curd. If you do, use a small spoon to clean up the edges.
  • Garnish each tartlet with 3-4 mini chocolate chips.
  • Serve immediately or refrigerate in airtight containers.

This recipe will make approximately 36 cookies. Given the slightly more advanced techniques and call for special equipment, this tartlet may seem daunting. I wrote it up for the most consitent results, but the only equipment you can’t do without is a mini-muffin tin. You can cool your curd in a bowl in the fridge and use a small spoon to full the tartlets, you can loosen the shells with a butter knife, and you can scoop and make the dough balls with your own two hands. I hope you won’t be afraid to try it, the results will be delicious and the lucky recipients will be impressed by your efforts.

Nom On,

~Crunchy

Apple-Toffee Mini Bundt Cakes

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Is it just me, or did Starbucks destroy the fall in North America by creating the pumpkin spice rage? Pumpkin spice has become a meme that has taken over fall and you can’t swing a bag without knocking over 20 displays of products that are flavored or scented with pumpkin spice.

So I present to you the Apple-Toffee Mini Bundt Cake to pay homage to the real queen of fall: The apple. Moist, delicious, and infused with the rich, warm, mischievous flavors of toffee and nutmeg. With this recipe, I give you back fall with all its myriad notes that say goodbye to the summer heat and invite us to enjoy the bounties of the harvest in the cold months to come.

Apple-Toffee Mini Bundt Cakes

Special Equipment:

  • Mini bundt cake electric griddle
  • Optional: Bundt cake pan for full sized bundt cake

Ingredients:

For Cake Batter

  • 1 box spiced cake mix
  • 1 20-oz can apple pie mix
  • 1 cup apple cider
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 3 eggs

For Toffee Glaze

  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

For the Final Touch

  • 1 Package Heath Baking Bits

Preparation:

For Cake Batter

  • Mix together all ingredients for the batter in a mixing bowl.
  • If you are using a mini Bundt cake maker, follow the manufacturer’s instructions for using the device. For Dash, I had to make one cake at a time in 12-minute intervals. For each cake, I had to spray a little non-stick spray and fill the device 3/4 of the way full. The machine does not turn off on its own so you will need to set a timer.
  • If you are creating a full-sized Bundt cake, spray your pan with non-stick spray and bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes.

For Toffee Glaze

  • Preheat a small sauce pan
  • Add the butter, heavy cream, and brown sugar over medium-high heat.
  • Whisk the ingredients together over the heat while bringing to a boil.
  • Once at a boil, reduce the heat to low and continue whisking for 15-20 minutes until you obtain the desired, sticky consistency.
  • Using a silicon spatula, transfer the mixture to a cool measuring cup with a pouring lip.

To Assemble the Cakes

  • Once the cakes and glaze have completely cooled, drizzle the glaze on top of each mini-bundt cake.
  • Depending on your preference you can be liberal or conservative with the glaze, but I found for the best visual effect, be liberal in the center and as you work your way outward, tapper it off so it just drips down the sides a little bit.
  • Finish each cake off with a sprinkle of the heath baking chips while the glaze is still sticky.

These delicious cakes are great for sharing or making little gifts, but I can tell you what happened to them around my home – breakfast! It was a very fun substitute for donuts, fall-themed, of course. With something other … than pumpkin spice.

Nom On,

~Crunchy

Mon Petit Parfait

People who will devour a gallon of ice cream in one sitting, eat a slice of cake the size of their head, or have three donuts for breakfast have always confused me. I just don’t have that kind of relationship with sugar. For me, whatever language you want to use – dolche, bonbon, a sweet – it should be that je ne sais quoi at the end of a meal or a long day; that breathy, little kiss goodnight.

I have a lovely little confection for you that you can whip up in less than 15 minutes and will promise you that lovely, little kiss goodnight. It’s light, delicate, and extremely versatile depending on the ingredients you have on hand.

Mon Petit Parfait

Ingredients:

  • Fresh Whipped Cream
    • 1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
    • 2 Tbsp Sugar
    • Chilled Stainless Steel Bowl and Hand Mixer Blades
  • Berries: You need to go fresh and seasonal. This is the first layer of your flavor that you will base your additional ingredients off of.
  • Herbs: Depending on what you are making, mint, basil, or lavender paste could provide complex additions to your parfait.
  • Texture: This is where you pair your flavor and things get really fun. Think cereals, crumbled-up crunchy cookies, or crumbled-up pie crust. The goal with this layer is a flavor that plays off the fruit, but a texture that juxtaposes the rest of the ingredients.

    Note: I don’t recommend cake or soft, chewy cookie crumbles because between the cream and the fruit, you might end up with a parfait that is less than exciting if you make all the layers soft. You really are looking for a flavoring pairing, BUT, a texture contrast.

Preparation:

  • Step One: In a small mason jar, cup, or glass, spread a layer of your freshly whipped cream. Layer it evenly on the bottom using a spoon.
  • Step Two: Next comes your texture. Crunch up your cereal or sprinkle in your granola or whatever you plan to use. Then add your layer of berries.
  • Step Three: Add another layer of cream, another layer of texture, and another layer of berries.
  • Step Four: Add your final layer of cream.
  • Step Five: Garnish with flair! I suggest a little topper of berries and a cookie to enjoy with your parfait.

Where can I cheat?

The heart of this dish is the fresh whipped cream, so please don’t cheat on that. It takes 5 minutes to make it and you have so much opportunity to infuse and layer your flavors by adding extracts to the whipped cream.

Baking your own cookies would be an amazing opportunity to further control the combined flavors of the finished product, but cookies from your store or local bakery will be perfectly delightful.

So what’s your favorite parfait, Crunchy?

Ingredients:

So there you have it! A very light, fresh, and delicious dessert you can whip together to delight your little one, delight your loved ones, or delight yourself.

Nom on,

~Crunchy

Chocolate Raspberry Pancake with Chocolate Ganache

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My daughter asked me to make her something pretty one Saturday morning close to Valentine’s Day and I came up with this lovely concoction. Deeply infused layers of chocolate offset by the brightness of raspberries? Both to the palate and the eyes, this dish is a treasure. I will warn you, it took hours to make and she won’t stop asking me to make it again, so be careful who you serve this to. They will be repeat customers.

Chocolate Raspberry Pancakes with Chocolate Ganache

Equipment

  • Medium-sized cookie cutter, in any shape you prefer
  • Cast Iron or non-stick skillet
  • Small sauce pan

Ingredients

For the pancakes:
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup *regular* cocoa powder
6 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 large eggs
3 Tbsp melted unsalted butter
3/4 cups whole milk

For the ganache:
1/2 cup whole milk
5 oz semi-sweet, finely chopped chocolate
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

To plate:
1/4 cup fresh raspberries
Powdered Sugar

Preparation

For the pancakes:

  • In a large bowl, sift together the flower, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. (What is sifting?)
  • In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, melted butter, and the milk.
  • Once you have both the dry and wet ingredients prepped, mix the liquid ingredients in and stir the batter until it is moistened and lumpy.
  • Heat your non-stick or Cast Iron Skillet to medium heat.
  • Grease the pan with a liberal amount of butter.
  • Place your cookie cutter onto the skillet and pour the batter in. The batter is very thick and will form a dense cake. You will need to go medium heat and babysit it as this much thicker cake batter will take about 4-5 minutes to cook. Poke it occasionally to test if the batter is cooked through. When you are getting fairly clean pokes with the fork, gently slide the spatula underneath and flip the whole thing over, cookie cutter included, to keep the shape. Cook for another 2 or 3 minutes. You don’t want to burn it. The end result should poke clean, but be a decadent, gooey end result when you actually dig in.
  • When finished, transfer to a plate to let it cool.

For the granache:

  • In a small sauce pan, heat the 1/2 cup of milk, the 5 ounces of finely chopped, semi-sweet chocolate, and 1 tsp of vanilla. Whisk over lower heat until the sauce is smooth.

To plate:

  • Place the pancake on the plate and pour the chocolate sauce over the cake. If you want to get creative, you can drizzle the sauce on the plate as well.
  • Arrange the raspberries on the plate next to the pancake.
  • Sprinkle powdered sugar over the whole dish and serve.

Nom your besotted, fussy-patns on!

~Love, Crunchy

Santa’s Table: A Very, Merry, Yuletide

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We’ve all been there. The kid is looking at us with wide, glowing eyes and asking us if Santa exists and will he grant them their precious wishes. I’m still trying to encourage my cynical child to believe he does exist, so I have to bring my A-game. Well, if I had to stuff myself down a chimney (which I don’t have) and leave over priced toys for a kid I don’t even know … would I want to be sober for it? Certainly not.

Enter The Nog. I’m not talking about the nasty stuff they sell in cartons at the grocery store that should not even be allowed to be labeled Egg Nog. There really out to be a law, that stuff is such a travesty. I am talking about the real deal. I prefer to make the Puerto Rican varietal that uses Spiced Rum called Coquito. And since I was going with the very merry nogmas theme for that jolly old fatty, I went with Egg Nog Snickerdoodles as well.

Santa’s Merry Nogmas Table

Let’s start with The Nog

A word of warning about The Nog. This is NOT a cheap dish to make. I never spend less than 100 bucks, but it is so. worth. it. Instead of polluting the ingredient list with a bunch of *Don’t be cheap alerts, I am just going to apply it to the whole list. Go organic on the dairy products, get free range eggs, get the top shelf booze, and get the highest quality French vanilla ice cream. They all affect the flavor. Egg Nog is a magical experience and you’ll only have it once a year.

Ingredients

  • 24 Eggs
  • 2 Cups Sugar
  • 1 Quart Heavy Cream
  • 2 Quarts Whole Milk
  • 1 Liter of Brandy (British), Bourbon (American), or Spiced Rum (Puerto Rican.)
  • 1 Quart French Vanilla Ice Cream, softened.
  • Pinch of Salt
  • Ground Nutmeg (for garnish.)

Preparation

  • In one 5 quart mixing bowl and 1 1.5 quart mixing bowl seperate the eggs. I have tried many methods and the fastest way to do it is to crack each egg and use the shells to dash back and forth until the whites separate from the yolk. The yolk goes into the 5 quart bowl and the whites go into the 1.5 quart bowl.
    If you want to see how this method works, you can check out this video: https://youtu.be/t-OwbEy-Vxk
  • Once you have finished separating the yolks and the whites, add the sugar to the yolks. You will need to beat the yolks briskly with a wire whisk for 3 minutes. They should be thick and lemon-colored.
  • Next, you will fold in the dairy. Add the milk and cream. Keep whisking.
  • Now, this ingredient is really important. It’s what will have you muttering to yourself like Cap’n Jack Sparrow … “but, why is the rum gone?” Pour in the rum!!
  • And after that it’s time to fold in the french vanilla ice cream.
  • By now your arms should be pretty tired and you’ll be wondering why you read my blog or why you bothered engaging on this particular project. But don’t worry, you’re almost done.
  • It’s time to add a pinch of salt to the egg whites, bust out the hand mixer and whip them until they form soft peaks. This should take about 5 minutes. I have tried to do this by hand so many times. Don’t bother. I have only gotten the soft peaks with a hand mixer. I find it best just to accept one’s inadequacies and let the robot take over the world. If you don’t know what soft peaks are, here’s a video: https://www.youtube.com/watch/wMTxkDzBqSU
  • Now that you have your soft peaks, it is time to fold them in to the 5 quart bowl with the rest of the mixture. Folding is yet another technique that may be new to you. So check out this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skWSIFfIMqc
  • After you have finished all that, cover the mixture and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes before serving.
  • The customary garnish is ground nutmeg. Just give each cup a sprinkle, and, well, Bob’s your uncle.

And now, the Egg Nog Snickerdoodles

I created a hybrid recipe that was essentially a cheat, but, after laboring over the Nog itself and my requisite peanut butter cookies (I mean, how would you even know it was the holidays if you didn’t have peanut butter cookies?) I ended up going with a route that made heavy use of convenience ingredients. The result was still quite yummy, so the peanut gallery told me.

Ingredients

  • 1 Pouch (17.5 oz) sugar cookie mix
  • Butter and eggs called for on cookie mix pouch
  • 1 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp rum extract (but, why is the rum gone!)
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup store bought egg nog

Preparation

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
  • Microwave the butter in a small bowl for about 30-45 seconds to soften.
  • In a large bowl, combine the sugar cookie mix, the egg nog, 1/2 of the nutmeg, the rum extract, and the softened butter. Stir until a soft dough forms.
  • Combine the cinnamon and sugar in a separate small bowl to make your mixture to roll the cookies in.
  • Once the dough is done, roll the cookies into 1 1/4 inch balls and roll each cookie in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
  • place on a greased cookie sheet. You will have to do them in batches, but keep the cookies about 2 inches apart.
  • Bake each batch for 7-9 minutes, until the edges are set.
  • Immediately transfer the cookies on to a counter or a cooling rack and let the cookies cool for 20 minutes. This is an important part of the baking process.
  • Wash, rinse, repeat!

So there you have it, Santa Clause’s Very, Merry, Yuletide table of goodies and salvation from sobriety on his longest and hardest night of the year.

Nom-Your-Jolly-Old-Saint-Nick-Self-On,

~Crunchy

Carrot Cupcakes: Ohhhh yeah…..

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Ah, carrot cake… Is there anything better? All you people with your red velvet and cheesecake obsessions need to take this dollar I’m holding down to the corner and buy yourself a clue. But then, if you make a cake you have this behemoth darkening your fridge. The solution? Well, it’s me so I think the solution is always found in a cupcake pan.

Carrot Cupcakes

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes….

  • 2/3 cup grapeseed oil
  • 1 1/2 cups grated carrots
  • 1 cup flour
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs, beaten

For the not-too-sweet frosting ….

  • 4 ounces cream cheese
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 2/3 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • Nutmeg

Preparation:

  • Wash and skin the carrots. Grab a cheese grater and put on a good audio book while you grate the carrots. If you have one of them fancy food processors, you can use that and save time. I like to save to save space, thus the audio book.
  • Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • Once the carrots are grated, combine them in a small bowl with the oil.
  • In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients. Make sure you don’t add the eggs.
  • Now, with the dry ingredients mixed, fold in the carrot-oil mixture and take care not to mix it much. You want the batter folded, not mixed.
  • Beat the eggs separately and then fold those in, too. Stir the eggs into the batter just a little, 10-15 swipes of  your spatula.
  • Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners and then, using an ice cream scoop, divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.
  • Bake for 13 minutes or so. They should be spongy on top and a golden-brown color.
  • Once baked, allow the muffins to cool.
  • Mix your frosting ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and beat at medium speed with a hand-mixer, until light and smooth.
    Note: If you cream cheese is a sticky mess in your mixing blades, turn the speed up and rove around the edges of the bowl. The speed will free the mixture from your blades and get it nice and smooth.
  • Using a rubber spatula, transfer the frosting into a plastic sandwich bag and snip off one edge. Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes and lightly dust with nutmeg.
  • Hand off the mixing blades to your clean up crew, as available.

Clean up crew

Serve at room temperature, or you can refrigerate them for a few minutes if you want the frosting to be a little firm.

Be prepared to make these often, as they are seriously delicious. I don’t have a big sweet tooth, and thus I modified the original recipe I found at Pinch of Yum to be a more balanced and mildly sweet cupcake. I finally had a proper dessert that kept me coming back for more. If you do like really sweet stuff, just up the powdered sugar in the frosting to 2 cups and call your dentist.

Nom on,

~Crunchy

Cream cheese sopapilla: Cinnamon-sugar perfection

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So I got all ambitious and bought LOADS of cream cheese a couple weeks ago thinking I’d attempt a cheesecake. And it sits there. And it sits there. And it sits there. I’m getting desperate. I need to use this stuff but I just don’t have time to make a cheesecake. Gak! After endless searching I stumble on this adorable little confection. It’s got sugar and spice and its handheld (a theme with me) and …. cream cheese! Yes. The process was still a bit time consuming, but man are these little suckers GOOD. I have had a hard time staying away from them they are so freaking good, and I don’t have a sweet tooth. No doubt they will tickle yours!

Cream Cheese Sopapillas

Ingredients

Filling

  • 1/2 pkg (4 oz) light cream cheese
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla

Crust

  • 1 pkg refrigerated pie crusts
  • 2 tbsp butter, melted
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 inch round biscuit cutter, or small juice glass

Preparation

  • Set the cream cheese out to begin softening.
  • Sprinkle flour on your board or cutting surface. Roll out crusts and cut out as many 2 inch rounds as you can. I had to combine and re-roll a few times. You should get about 24 rounds. Pop them in the fridge to keep cool.
  • Once the rounds are done and the cheese has softened, combine the filling ingredients and blend with a hand blender until smooth and soft. Use a rubber spatula to transfer to a sandwich baggie. Set aside.
  • Pre-heat oven to 350.
  • Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper and lay out 12 crust rounds.
  • Snip the end off your filling baggie and pipe a small amount of filling onto each round.
  • Top the filling with the remaining 12 crust rounds. Using a fork, press along the edges of each pie to seal the crust layers together.
  • Bake at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes.
  • In the meantime,
    • combine sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl. Set aside.
    • melt your butter in a bowl. Set aside.

When ready, let the pies cool just slightly.

  • Coat the tops of your pies.
  • Either dunk and cover your pies in the sugar mixture, or sprinkle over the tops. It just depends on how sweet you want them to be.

Depending on when you serve them, they go great with fresh berries and a vanilla latte. Or you can just guilty pluck one out of the fridge every time you go in the kitchen. I hear tell the calories don’t count if no one sees you eat it.

Nom On, 

~Crunchy

Shout out: Although my version tastes more like a mildly sweet tart, I did want to give credit to the clever baker who created this variation of the traditional sopapilla: http://www.crazyforcrust.com/2013/04/sopapilla-cheesecake-hand-pies/